Yarn furnishing and controlling mechanism for knitting machines



April 13. 1926. 1,581,093

K. HOWIE YARN FURNISHINS AND CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINESOriginal Filed Jan. 5, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 %MWM fuzz/M April 13 1926.1,581,093

. K. HOWIE YARN FURNISHING AND CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR KNITTINGMACHINES Original Filed Jan. 5, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnqentor: KennethJYozgie,

MM/Mw April 13 1926.

1,581,093 K. HOWIE YARN FURNISHING AND CONTROLLING MECHANISM FORKNITTING MACHINES Original Filed Jan. 3, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor:Jfezyzeth Jiauzie, j

Patented Apr. 13,1926.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE- KENNETH HOWIE, 0F NORBISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NQR T0WILDMAN MFG. 00.. OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYIJIANIA.

YARN FUBNISHING AND CONTROLLING Application filed Ianuary 3, 1922,Serial No. 526,669. Renewed September 28, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KENNETH Howm, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Norristown, in the county of Montgomery I and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in YarnFurnishing and Controlling Mechanism for Knitting Machines, of which thefollowing is aspecification.

One object of'the invention is to provide a yarn furnishing meclmnism,combined in one unit wth stop motion mechanism to stop the machine, andwith mechanism for controlling knitting devices at the various feeds, 15to eliminate any one of said feeds upon the failure of the yarn leadinthereto.

The yarn is led from. bo bins through the yarn furnishing devices andthence through dropper devices to the yarn guide at the needles. Thefall of any one of the droppers, upon the failure of the yarn passing incontact therewith, will operate the stop motion devices, and-at the sametime a connection leading from the stop motion head to theknittingdevices will be operated, for instance to withdraw the cam ofthe needle beard pressers, so. that the needles will stop knitting andthe work will not be pressed ofl or run off, despite the fact that onlya short length of the yarn is left to be used up by the needles.

The knitting device which is operated may be the needle beard pressercam, or it may be a raising cam, but in any case the feed, where theyarn failure takes place, is immediately thrown out of operation by thecessation of the stitch forming function of the needles at this point.

Other objects of the invention will be clear from the followingdescription. The invention may be used with either a spring beard needlemachine or a latch needle machine.

In thedrawings- Figure 1 is a View in the nature of a diagram of aknitting head and adjacent frame parts with the invention in place.

Fig. 2 is a detail sideview of the yarn furnishing devices.

Fig. 3 1s a vertical sectional view ofthe stop motion head.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3, with the MECHANISM nonKmirnmeatncniitiiis.

cover portion removed and parts broken awa Fig. 5 is a detail view ofadjusting means for the furnishing wheels.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of part of the knitting head showing means foradjusting and operating the resser cam.

Fig. 7 is a p an view of the ring for supporting the dropper devices,and

Fig. 8 is a new of a modified form of yarn furnishing wheels.

1 is the cam ring of the knitting head within which the needle cylinderrevolves. 2 is the yarn guide and there is one of these 65 for eachfeed, of which there may be any number, only one being shown.

The particular embodiment of the invention shown being of the springbeard needle type, though the invention. may be applied 70 to the latchneedle type, a presser cam 3 is employed to press the needle beardsthrough individual pressers, not shown.-

It is well understood that if the presser cam is withdrawn from action,the needles, II 1n passing thisparticular feed, will not knit, and meansare provided whereby thispresser cam will be automatically retractedfrom the needle beards if the yarn leading to the needles, passing thiscam, fails. .For this I0 purpose the presser cam is under the influenceof a spring 4: bearing at one end against the wall of an opening 5, ofthe cam ring 1*, and at the other end against a stud 6 extending up fromthe shank 70f the pressll er cam into the opening.

The presser cam is he d to its work against the retracting influence ofthe spring b a catch lever 8 pivotally mounted in a bracket 9 fixed tothe cam ring. This catch lever has 00 an arm 10 having a hook 11engaging a flange 12 of a sleeve 13 which is seated in the cam ringhaving a plain cylindrical exterior and a screw threaded interior. Theflange 12 has a notch 12 which receives the II hooked end of the leverand thus the lever holds the sleeve against longitudinal move ment andalso against turning movement when engaging the notch of the flange. Thesleeve receives a rod 14 screw threaded there- 1. into and this rodbears upon a plain pin 15 seated in the opening of the cam ring and thispin bears uponthe end of the shank of the presser cam, and thustheLlatter is held to its work. The screw pin or rod 14 is locked in anyposition to which it may be adjusted by a jam nut 16, and for adjustingthe screw rod and consequently ad justing the'presser cam in relation tothe needle beards the screw rod has a kerf 14 to receive a screw driverby which it may be turned afterloosening the jam nut.

The adjustment of the presser cam in relation to the needle beards orindividual pressers does not affect the position of the flange 12 inrelation to the catch lever which will hold the cam in its adjustedposition until failure of the yarn at this particular feed takes place,whereupon the catch lever will be operated to release the flanged sleeveand permit the spring 4 to exert its force and retract the presser camfrom the needle beards, or from the individual beard depressors, ifthese are used.

The yarn from the bobbins, not-show1i, passes between furnishing wheels56, 57, 58, one set for each feed, and thence to the yarn guide at thisfeed, and provision is madefor delivering two yarns to each feed, one ofwhich is a plating yarn.

On their way from the furnishing wheels to the yarn guide the yarns passthrough guide ends ofdropper fingers 17 and 17 and fixed guides 18adjacent thereto. These dropper fingers control stop motion means andalso means for operating the catch lever 8 of the particular feedaffected by the failure of either one of its yarns.

The connection for operating the let off from thestop motion head forstopping the machine automatically on failure of the yarn is shown at19, and the connection for operating the catch lever 8 for preventingthe needles, passin this feed, from performing their knittmg functionsis shown at 20.

Stop head.

- screw 26' to the center rod' 22. The casing consists of a body part 23and acover me1n ber 24, attached thereto by screws 25. Within thiscasing there is'a gear wheel 27 turning loosely on the stationarysuspension rod 22, and driven through bevel gearing 28, 29 from a shaft30 which is driven in unison with the needle cylinder through gearing31, a vertical shaft 32, and gearing 33, 34, the latter, gear 34 being.on the drive shaft of the'machine and driving the gear 35, which isconnected with the needle cylinder.

The gear 27 within the stop motion head carries a ring having teeth 36with which a pawl or 'dog 37 engageswhen the yarn fails belonging tothis feed. For instance, the air of yarns a and a pass down from thebobbins between the furnishing wheels be held up by the draft of theyarns, but if either yarn fails then its dropper wire 17 or '17, as thecase may be, will fall by gravity. Each wire is carried by a member 38pivoted at 39 in ears 40 of a ring 41, which is secured to the bottomwall of the casing 23. Each pivoted member 38 has an upstandingprojection 42 engaging a pin 43 extending laterally from the lower endof the pawl or dog 37 so that upon the falling of either one of the pairof dropper wires 17, 17 the dog 37 will be turned and its upper end madeto engage the toothed ring. The dog 37 is pivotally mounted on ahorizontally swinging lever or arm 46 which is mounted upon or formedwith a shaft 44 extending vertically and journalled in a suitablebearing in the bottom wall of the casing. The lower end of this shaftcarries an arm 45 to which is connected the rod or wire 20, abovementioned, leading to the devices which control theneedle bearddepressor cam. The lever 46 also has a'pin 47 extending up therefrominto a notch or recess 48- of a ring 49 which is supported and guided inits slight circumferential movement by the upper end of the shaft orfixed pin portion 44 of the lever 46. This ring on its interior has arib or shoulder 49 engaged by the head 50 of a screw which is threadedinto the pin 44, and the head of this screw overlies the rib orshoulder, so as to hold the ring 49 down in place, but yet permit it tohave rotary motion.

This ring 49 carries a depending pin 51, to which the rod 19 isconnected. The pin 51 passes down through an opening 52 in set ofknitting devices to be thrown out of operation to stop the knittingwhile the machine is coming to rest. The swinging of the lever 46 asabove described will cause pin 47 to strike the wall of the notch 48 andturn the ring 49, causing pin 51 to 'draw upon rod 19, and the turningof the lever will also cause shaft 44 to be turned, to

gether with arm rod 20.

The degree of movement of the lever 46 is comparatively small because,as it turns about the axis of shaft 44, its arc of movement is such thatthe dog 37 will soon release 45, thus drawing upon .erated when eitherone of the levers 46 is operated.

The levers 46 are arms or extensions 54 and these pins are embraced by aspring band 55 which will return any one of the levers, which may havebeen operated, back to normal position in resetting the stop motionhead.

The yarn furnishing mechanism comprises abroad toothed wheel 56 and twonarrow 'wheels 57, 58. These wheels have long teeth, as shown in Fig. 2,intermeshing so as to measure off the yarn passing between them insuitable and accurate lengths or sections to properly supply the needlesto which the yarn is led without being subjected to any variabletension, there being no tension devices employed between the furnishingwheels and the needles.

The toothed wheel 56 is mounted on a motion head and this shaft has abevel gear on its inner end meshing with the bevel.

gear 27, before mentioned, so that the furnishing wheels will be drivenin unison with the needle cylinder, because, as 'above descnibed, thegear 27 is driven from the same gear train which rotates the needlecylinder.

One of theyarns of each pair a, a at each feed passes between thefurnishing wheels 56 and 57 and the other yarn passes between said wheel56 and the wheel 58. These wheels 57 and 58 are carried by a swingingbracket consisting of the depending arm 62 and the substantiallyhorizontal arm 63, the bracket being pivotally mounted at 64 to an earor post 65 on the frame of the stop mo- .tion head. The bracket isadjustable by means of a nut 66 bearing on its forked end 67, said nutbeing on the screw threaded post or pin 68 mounted in the frame of I thestop motion head. A jam nut 69 holds the parts in adjusted position. Aspring 70 maintains the bracket up against the nut 66, but the bracketmay yield to allow for variations in the yarn, or for the passage oflumps which, however, will be taken care of by any suitable detectormeans at the needles. The adjustment of the bracket will vary the depthof mesh of the teeth and thus vary the lengths of yarn furnished theneedles in exact accord with the demands of the needles, which, ofcourse, may be made to draw longer or shorterloops. Besides theadjustment of both wheels 57 and 58 relative to the wheel 56, it is tobe noted that the wheel 57 is adjustable relative to wheel cast withpins 53 on 56 independently of wheel 58, so that the furnishing of oneyarn may be regulated in degree in respect to the amount of yarnfurnished by the other wheel in order to get the proper relation duringplating.

For this purpose the wheel 58 is mounted on a pin 71 carried by theswinging bracket and the other wheel is mounted on an eccen trio sleeve72 turnable on a reduced part of the pin 71 and held by a nut 7 3 screwthreaded upon the pin. The eccentric sleeve can be turned by the fingerpiece 74' and when so turned it will cause the wheel 57 to mesh more orless deeply with the wheel 56.

There is one set of these yarn furnishing devices a for each feed. Theswinging brackets have guide eyes 75, 76 for the pairs of yarns.

Instead of driving the furnishing wheels 57, 58 from the wheel 56through the same teeth which do the yarn furnishing the wheels may beformed as at 56, 57', 58 and the drive may be effected through toothedportions which perform only the driving function. This is shown in Fig.8, in which the driving portions of the teeth are shown at c, and theyarn furnishing portions at d. This arrangement will prevent the yarnfrom being unduly pinched, because the driving force will not be exertedfrom tooth to tooth through the interposed yarn.

Features relating to the yarn furnishing means have been made thesubject of a divi sional application Serial No. 595,149, filed October17, 1922.

I claim:

1. In combination in a knitting machine, a plurality of feeds, with asetof knitting devices at each feed, each set having a member to bethrown out of operation to cause the needles to stop knitting but tohold the fabric thereon at the corresponding feed, yarn furnishing meansfor each feed to measure off the yarn supplied thereto and a detectordevice for each feed between the yarn furnishing means and the knittingdevices, means driven from the power of themachine, and connections tocontrol the said members at the respective feeds, said connections beingset by the detector device to be actuated by the said power drivenmeans, said yarn furnishing means being knitting machine, spring beardneedles, a

presser cam, a spring for moving the presser cam to inoperativeposition, a screw for adjusti'ng the presser cam against the tension ofthe spring, a nut mounted in the cam ring slidably receiving said screw,a catch for holding the nut, and detector means for the yarn forcontrolling the catch, substantially as described.

3. In combination in a spring needle knitting machine, spring beardneedles, a presser cam, a spring for moving the presser cam toinoperative position, a screw for adjusting the presser cam against thetension of the spring, a nut mounted in the cam ring slidably receivingsaid screw, a catch for holding the nut, and detector means for the yarnfor controlling the catch, said nut having a notched flange forreceiving the catch, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a knitting machine, toothed yarn furnishingwheels, gearing for driving the same, stop motion connections drivenfrom said gearing, yarn detector means operable upon the failure of theyarn for rendering the stop motion connections operative from saidgearing, and connections to a member of the knitting devices at theneedles to cause the needles to stop knitting but to hold the fabricthereon, said connections being operated from said gearing when the yarnfails said detector means being between the yarn furnishing means andthe needles.

5. In combination with a knitting machine, rotary members for furnishingyarn to the needles, gearing for driving the same, knitting devicesincluding a member to be thrown out of operation to stop knitting whilethe fabric remains in the needles, stop motion connections, connectionsto said knitting device, detector means engaged by the yarn, powertransmitting means moving with the gearing and normally ineffective,means for operating the said connections from the power transmittingmeans when in engagement therewith, said detector means controlling saidengagement, sub-' a detector engaged by the yarn and controlling the dogto make it engage the toothel member when the yarn fails, a memberoperated by the lever for operating the let-oll' connection, knittingdevices including a member to be thrown to inoperative position forcausing the needles to stop knitting, but to hold the fabric thereon,and a connection from said lever to the said knitting member,substantially as described.

7. In combination with a knitting machine, a let-oil connection, a gear,a toothed member carried thereby, a lever having a pivoted dog to engagesaid toothed, member, a yarn detector, a -member connected therewith tohold the dog in inoperative position while the yarn is running but tothrown said dog into engagement with the toothed member when the yarntails, a ring common to a plurality of said levers to be operated byeither one of them, said ring maltose being connected to the let-citconnection, knitting devices at each feed, each including a member wluchmay be thrown to inoperative position to stop the needles from knitting,but to hold the fabric thereon, and a connection from each of saidlevers to the said member of the feed corresponding thereto,substantially as described.

8. Incombination, a plurality of yarn detector devices, one for eachyarn, a series of levers, each having a dog controlled by one of thedetector devices, a power transmitting ring with which the dogs engagewhen released, a notched ring, each lever a having a portlcn enteringone ot the notches in the ring and a stop motion connection operated bythe ring, a. plurality of sets of knitting devices, one set at eachfeed, each set ompr1sing a member to be thrown out of operation when theyarn belonging to .that feed fails, and a connection from each of saidlevers to the said member of the feed to which said lever belongs,substantially as described.

10, In combination, a plurality of feeds, a plurality of yarn detectors,one for each feed, a plurality of pivoted levers, means controlled bythe movement of said levers for controlling the knitting functions ofthe machine, a power transmitting member for operating the levers, meanscontrolled by the detectors for causing the levers to be operated by thepowertransmitting means,said levers being disposed about a central pointand a spring band encircling said central point and engaging all of thelevers for" holdingthem in normal position, substantially as described.

11. In combination in apparatus of the class described, a rotary powertransmitting member having teeth, a plurality of levers turnable aboutvertical axes and having their outer ends adapted to swing in arcsacross the path described by the toothed transmitting'member, dogscarried by the outer ends of the levers to engage the teeth, yarndetector means for controlling said engagement, means common to theseries of levers to be operated by any one of them and connectionsoperated by said last mentioned means, said dogs automatically releasingthemselves from the teeth due to the path of travel of said dogs withthe levers, substantially as described.

12. In combination in apparatus of the each lever class described, a.supporting head, yarn furnishing means thereon, radiating shafts fordriving the yarn furnishing means, a beveled gear, pinions on theradiating shafts driven from said gear, a power transmitting membercarried by the gear and means operated thereby for controlling theoperations of the knitting machine, and yarn detector means controllingthe operation of the means operated by the power transmitting means,substantially as described.

13. In combination with a knitting machine, rotary members forfurnishingyarn to the needles, gearing for driving the same a cam at theneedles which when withdrawn from operative position causes the needlesto stop knitting but holds the fabric thereon, connections to said camfor operating it, stop motion connections, detector means engaged by theyarn at a point between the yarn furnishing means and the needles, powertransmitting means moving with the gearing and normally ineffective,means for operating said stop motion connections and said cam operatingconnections from the power transmitting means when in engagementtherewith, said detector means controlling said engagement.

14. In combination with a knitting machine, a let-off connection, a geardriven from the" machine, a toothed member carried by the said gear, alever, a dog carried by said lever to engage the toothed member, adetector engaged by the yarn and controlling the dog to make it engagethe toothed member when the yarn fails, and a member operated by thelever for operating the let-off connection, substantially as described.

15. In combination with a knitting machine, a let-off connection, agear, a toothed member carried by the gear, a lever having adog'pivotally mounted thereon to engage said toothed ,member, ayarndetector, a member connected therewith to hold the dog in inoperativeposition while the yarn is running, but to throw: said dog intoengagement with the toothed member when the yarn fails, a ring common toa plurality of said levers to be operated by either one of them, and aconnection between the said ring and the let-off connection,substantially as described. 1 v

16. In combination in a knitting machine having a plurality of feeds, aplurality of yarn detectors, one for each feed, a plurality of pivotallymounted levers, an "annular power transmitting member for operating thelevers, means controlled by the detectors for causing the levers to beoperated by the power transmitting means, said levers being disposedabout a central point, and a spring band encircling said central pointand engaging all of the levers for holding them in normal position.

the needles to knit and when withdrawn 17. In combination in apparatusof the class described, a head, a gear, a radiating shaft carried by thehead, and having a pinion meshing with the gear, a yarn furnishing wheelon' the radiating shaft, a second yarn furnishing wheel engaging withthe first and driven thereby, a toothedpower transmitting ring carriedby the gear, stop motion connections, at yarn detector, and meanscontrolled thereby for connecting up the power transmitting ring withsaid connections upon failure of the yarn, substantially as described. I

18. In combination in a knitting machine, a rotary gear, a plurality ofyarn furnishing rotary members disposed aboutsaid gear and driventherefrom for measuring off theyarns supplied to the needles from thebobbins, a member at each feed cooperating with from operative positioncausing the needles to stop knitting but to hold the fabric thereon,connections to said members, power transmitting means rotating with thegear but normally disengaged from said connections, and detector meansto receive the yarns from the yarn furnishing means and upon failure ofsaid yarn causing said rotar'y power transmitting means to operate theconnection belonging to the yarn which has failed, to'withdraw themember. controlled by said connection, substantially as described.

19.- In combination in a knitting machine, a rotary gear, a plurality ofyarnfurnishing rotary members disposed about said gear and driventherefrom for measuring off the yarns supplied to the needles from thebobbins, a member at each feed cooperating with the needles to knit andwhen with drawn from operative position causing the needles "to stopknitting but to hold the fabric thereon, connections to said members,means rotating with the gear but normally disengaged from saidconnections, and detector means to receive the yarns from the yarnfurnishing means and upon failure of said yarn causing said rotary meansto operate the connection belonging to the yarn which has failed, towithdraw the member com trolled by said connection, and 'a stop mo tionconnection also operated by said rotary member, substantially asdescribed.

20. In combination with a circular knitting machine having a pluralityof feeds with a member at each feed which when withdrawn from actionprevents the work from running off from the needles, a cen tral stopmotion head. a plurality of yarn furnishing means, one for each feeddisposed about the said head, shafts disposed substantially radially inrespect to said head and carrying said yarn furnishing means, a yarndetector, one for each feed, arranged between the yarn furnishing meansand the needles and receiving the yarn from said -fur1nsh1ng means on1ts way therefrom to the needles, a connection for each feed to operatethe firstunentioned member thereat, rotating means in the a stop motionhead driven by the power of the machine and driving said yarn furnishingmeans, and also operating said connections when the latter are connectedup with said rotating means,

means controlled by the detector for connecting said connections withsaid rotatlng means when the yarns fail, and a let-ofi' connection alsooperated vfrom said rotating means when any one of the yarns fail,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

KENNETH HOWIE.

